Memories of the life stream
by Tyxon Strife
Summary: Cloud remembers his best friend Zack and then an unwanted visitor shows up


"I said I would live out both of our lives..."  
Cloud looks at the buster sword on the hill with a pang of sadness  
"I let you die..."  
Cloud sighs as some words echo through his head  
"Dilly Dally Shilly Shally"  
Cloud smirks and then sits down next to the sword  
"Yeah I know, that is what you would both say, isn't it..."  
The sword remains silent and cloud lies with his back facing the sky so he can see the stars.  
"I saw thos stars up close once, when we were saving the planet, it was beautiful, and surprisingly I wasn't sick at all, until I got back on the Highwind."  
Cloud laughs slightly  
"Yuffie even tried to make me read something, I almost threw up. In a nutshell, I really haven't changed since you last saw me."  
Cloud sits um and slams his fist into the grass.  
"Why did you have to die, Zack, you should've been there, you should've been the hero alongside of me."  
Cloud looks up at the sky again  
"but, I'm alive because of you so..."  
Cloud's thoughts are interrupted by the sound of beating wings and then feet landing on the grass, Cloud grabs his sword and stands up to face whatever it is behind him, to see a man draped in a red cloak and holding a red rapier with brown hair glowing blue eyes and an enormous black wing on his left shoulder.  
The man walks forwards looking directly at Cloud and then in a Harsh cold voice with noticeable accent speaks.  
"are you Vincent Valintine?"  
Cloud doesn't falter,  
"No, but who are you to ask, and why?"  
The man gives a slight mocking bow.  
"G, my name is simply G, all else was erased from my past, and I have come to take revenge for the death of my brother."  
He holds his blade horizontally and runs his hand down it creating flames along it.  
"Now, Tell me where..."  
G's gaze falls on the buster sword behind cloud.  
"That sword..."  
He gives of a pained gasp, dropping his sword as he falls to one knee, grabbing his head in pain  
"Angeal"  
His accent has slightly changed  
"Sephiroth"  
Cloud tightens his grip on his sword, G has lost his accent completely but his voice is still cold and harsh  
"Z-Zack"  
This last name all the harshness has dropped out of G's voice but he still retains a slight proper air of coldness in his voice, making it sound natural as he speaks.  
Cloud loosens his grip upon hearing his friend's name.  
G looks up into the sky and begins reciting lines as if from memory  
_"When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end  
The goddess descends from the sky  
Wings of light and dark spread afar  
She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting" _

_"Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess  
We seek it thus, and take to the sky  
Ripples form on the water's surface  
The wandering soul knows no rest" _

_"There is no hate, only joy  
For you are beloved by the goddess  
Hero of the dawn, Healer of worlds  
Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul  
Pride is lost  
Wings stripped away, the end is nigh" _

_"My friend, do you fly away now?  
To a world that abhors you and I?  
All that awaits you is a somber morrow  
No matter where the winds may blow  
My friend, your desire  
Is the bringer of life, the gift of the goddess  
Even if the morrow is barren of promises  
Nothing shall forestall my return" _

_"My friend, the fates are cruel  
There are no dreams, no honor remains  
The arrow has left the bow of the goddess  
My soul, corrupted by vengeance  
Hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey  
In my own salvation  
And your eternal slumber  
Legend shall speak  
Of sacrifice at world's end  
The wind sails over the water's surface  
Quietly, but surely _

Cloud looks puzzled but G smiles,  
"LOVELESS, have you ever heard such beautiful lines, I am sorry for my misconduct before, You can call me Genesis!"  
Cloud steps back  
"Genesis? The Genesis, Soldier first Class Genesis?"  
Genesis smiles,  
"one and the same."  
Genesis looks down,  
"You are the infantryman that Zack was protecting weren't you... Cloud wasn't it?"  
Cloud nods  
"Where is Zack because I would like to speak with him."  
Cloud looks down and then over at the sword and Genesis immediately knows  
"He is no longer with us... is he"  
Cloud shakes his head  
"but he gave that sword to you?"  
Cloud nods and Genesis Recites one more line of LOVELESS

_"Even if the morrow is barren of promises  
Nothing shall forestall my return  
To become the dew that quenches the land  
To spare the sands, the seas, the skies  
I offer thee this silent sacrifice" _

"That line means more to you and Zack then it ever did to me, He felt like you were to continue his honor and his dreams, cherish that,"  
Genesis begins to walk away, but then turns to Cloud,  
"You carry on his memory, and with it, the memories of both Angeal and Sephiroth, my two very good friends, and for that, I think we can be friends."  
Angeal unfurls his wing  
"Until we meet again, Cloud."  
Genesis Takes to the sky and disappears from view.  
Cloud looks after him for a while and then pulls the buster sword from the sand holding it to his head, as he had seen Zack do many times.  
"Zack, he is right, by leaving this sword here, I am degrading your image, you passed your honor to me, and through this sword, I will keep it."  
Cloud puts the Buster sword on his back and with a new triumphant look on his face gets on Fenrir and rides off.

---------------------------------------------------------  
In loving Memory of Zack Fair


End file.
